My little brother is SEVENTY today.

Church, always. So solid. When I consider moving away, church says, Stay.

About twenty people were at brunch today, at City Cafe. Crowded around four or five skinny little four-tops. It was someone’s birthday, so they treated us to two heaping platters of sweet desserts. And a huge slice of cake with a candle for the birthday girl. We love the servers. They take incredible care of us. It’s extraordinary, really.

I’m thinking I might write another paper for the journal for the 2025 conference. So I got out one of my previous papers from 2020. It was about writing Five Things That Made Me Happy Today. It’s prety darn good, if I say so. The editors chose it one of the three best papers submitted that year. That makes me happy. Still.

Naps. Plural. A noisy hail storm. (We hurriedly cleared out the garage for one of the Soto cars. No damage here.)

A really great conversation with a checker at WalMart tonight. The man in front of me left two items on the counter. At first, I thought he forgot them but I’m pretty sure he put them back because he couldn’t afford them. I remembered him searching through his pockets for bills to put in the self checkout. They were really sweet items that probably weren’t for him.

And you? What’s making you happy these days? Keep going.

#5things

One of my favorite evening treats — a baked potato with everything and the newest season of Great British Baking Show. The pair often starts my weekend, but Thursdays kind of begin my weekend these days.

A fabulous week of teaching. This is Week #3. I think I have eough material for a book!!

Max and I toured a new school for him today and we’re excited. Stay tuned.

I’m all set for our church’s One Hundred Twenty Fifth Anniversary celebration this weekend (gala and picnic) including a new “gala” dress but I’m having toe surgery in the morning and can’t find my “toe surgery” shoes. I may have to buy a new pair of Crocs for the weekend. To match the dress, yes?

A newish 2000 piece puzzle is testing my new eye sight. Thank you, Sugar Lee. Pix when I’m done.

You? I love to hear what’s making you happy. My cup is overflowing.

Keep going.

#5Things

Just finished an amazing Ann Patchett book, State of Wonder. I think it’s one of her earlier works. Took me several hours to calm down and re-settle into my current life. A very good read.

The new/old cat has discovered cough drops, the kind that are individually wrapped. She can carry them around and bat them all over the place. I used to have a cat that liked them too. I can’t remember what happened when they got through the paper to the lozenge. We’ll see.

This afternoon a friend and I saw Origins. A spectacular movie and a superb follow up to reading Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste with my book club this month. Highly recommend. Just hurry. It’s got a very short run.

On the way out of the theater we were hailed from behind by friends who I haven’t seen in about twenty years. How’s that for Making Me Happy Today?

It is fun to go to the movies on a weekday afternoon when there are fewer than a dozen people in the theater.

Oh, and Ruby passed her road test for her driver’s license this morning. Yay!! One more step for documents, vision test, and a photo on March 1 and she’s officially a driver.

And you? I’d love to hear what made your day. Or your week.

Keep going.

#5things

Balmy Texas weather on this January 31.

A trip to the library to get another book by Ann Patchett. She is a great story teller and writes page-turners. Looking forward to a light read this evening.

I broke a nail yesterday and Ruby repaired it this afternoon. She is practicing dip powder (IYKYK) and she did a great job. I’m still about two weeks out from a manicure, which is pretty much my only beauty vanity thing.

Driving a yellow Fit is just really fun. Especially when there are others around. We try to park near one another. Family, you know. This was at the library. So far, the six or so yellow Fit drivers that I’ve met in the last two years are as crazy as I am about having a yellow car.

I m using my personal method on the latest puzzle, a 2000-piecer that was a Christmas gift. I also read that snapping those pieces together gives you a little hit of dopamine. So that’s an added benefit. This one is about 30 x 40" so I had to build out my puzzle table with a big piece of foam core.

And you? What’s making you happy these days?

I love to hear about it. Especially if there are pix.

Keep going.

#5Things

Went to DPS (Department of Public Safety) yesterday to get my license renewed, . . . and I bet you didn’t expect that opening sentence for Five Things, did you?

I got my same day appointment using my guaranteed 715 am special instruction for 230 pm. South Dallas. 30 minutes or so of freeway driving. Their systems and mine are well oiled.

First off, identical twins about 80 or so, walking across the waiting room. Same gait, similar clothing, clearly twinning 180 degrees across my vision. I thought it was sweet that they had come to DPS together to get their business done. Probably the same business as mine. Wish I had a pic to show you.

Regarding my license: Turns out, I don’t need to renew until 2026. My interpretation of the state regs plus months of making and cancelling appointments plus various conversations at DPS (this is trip #9 in the last year or so including getting licenses for two grandkids) — inaccurate. I am now an expert on renewals when you’re 80 or over. Ask me.

Eloise, my new/old cat is settling in nicely and has learned to use the kitchen stool/ladder to reach the top of the cat tree to reach the perfect perch/street lookout/nap place. She’s an agile blunderbuss, so using the ladder is good. Very good.

You? It’s not even 6 o’clock yet. I’m up and at ’em. Ruby is asleep in my bed upstairs. I’m starting a new puzzle today, a 2000-piecer gift from Ruby. And you-know-who is in her place and all is right with the world.

I’d love to hear what’s making you happy these days. Pictures welcome.

Keep going.

#5Things

Ruby had her ride from school drop her at my house so she could share a milestone with me. She was jumping out of her skin. So great to play with her. Watch out, world.

Then we went to ur favorite phone repair place — Cell Phone Repair (CPR) on Preston where my misbehaving phone just needed a battery. Phew.

Rainy, chilly day. Not my favorite weather. But a good day to stay indoors and only venture out to my toe doc whose office is about a mile away. Toe surgery healing nicely.

And, my old/new cat who has returned to live with me is even more aggressively friendly than the late Rexie. Eloise is also something of a blunderbuss and is giving me second thoughts about how cat-proof my house needs to be.

Book club meeting today. Via Zoom. It is fun to talk book with other equally nerdy book readers.

You? What’s making you happy? I love to hear about it.

Keep going.

#5Things

A field trip with Tiffany Bednar and pals and Ruby to Lucky Dog Books-Casa Linda, one of my favorite used book stores. I treated them to a big basket of books — I’ve saved up quite the discount dollars there. Then we grabbed lunch at @Keller’s Burgers, right down Garland road. Fast food cooked PERFECTLY to order. And a last stop at Sunset Bay for pelicans and coots. And there were dozens and dozens of cormorants.

I did buy a 1000 piece puzzle in an open box for $3. ($1.50 with my discount.) We’ll see. It looks like fun.

I do miss that neighborhood!

My whirlygig is whirling away. It’s mesmerizing. I’ll move it in to the shrubbery this weekend so my neighbor can mow the yard without a detour.

This is day #9 out of school. About ten to go. It’s an odd time out. Relaxing but I keep thinking there’s something I should be doing!!

And you?

I’d love to hear how you’re spending this odd, take-a-breath season.

Keep going.

#5things

Bright, sunny days for the season. I love this weather.

How do you like my new whirlygig thing for the front yard? This week it will move into the bed with the holly so my next door man can still mow the lawn without worry.

And a new big agave is coming in a pot in the spring. Both will go with me to a new place in 2025. Yay.

Cousins Club at my house last night. Silly gift exchange with six of my favorite people. Plus pizza. Hard to beat.

My holiday season is filled with love and relationship. It’s a privilege that I don’t take lightly.

The crows are back. They are here now, complaining that peanuts aren’t out yet!!

What’s making you happy these days? I love to hear about it always.

Keep going.

#5things

Several hours today at St Mark’s School Of Texas, hosting a wrestling tournament with quite a few schools including Tuscaloosa County (AL). Wyatt took first in his weight. It’s just a good sport.

I made a stunning entrance, tripping on the edge of the mat and landing flat on my back. At least six wrestlers hopped to my aid. It’s the best pick-up-from-a-fall I ever had. I think I’m okay. We’ll know tomorrow!

Another gorgeous fall-in-December day. Bright sun all day.

Speaking of fall. While the tournament was going into final rounds this afternoon, some of the boys who had finished competition were out on the green, playing catch with a football. Three separate boys attempted to catch one toss, before the ball finally bounced to the ground. Clearly wrestlers and not football players.

I enjoyed a birthday dinner for a dear friend on Monday, with dear friends. I treasure them all.

Keep going.

You? I’d love to hear what’s making you happy these days.

#5things

Venus in the morning sky. It’s so clear this morning and she looks like a landing airliner.

The 2023 Wisdom for Elders course last weekend.

Sharing some of my art day by day in December.

Assembling a living collage of famly and friend pictures on my iiving room wall. Ruby found a huge trove of Kim Loehr Soto’s photos, including two very well executed fake IDs. You bet I posted them as well. I’ll float a photo here when the display is more-or-less finished. It’s 12 square feet — a lot for a photo album page.

Bloom report. My deep red cactus (see below) is almost done and the white one in the same pot is just coming on line. A couple others are popping out. I love having bloomers in the house in cold weather. The never-say-die begonia is blooming away, a single stem rooted in a vial of water.

You? I’d love to hear whatever it is that’s making you happy.

Keep going.

#5things